Grafton Group hopes to raise at least £50m by offering bonds directly to retail investors. Chief executive Gavin Slark said the firm aims to diversify its funding and extend the maturity of its debts. Investec is managing the issue.

As more grants are available for On-Site Assessment and Training (OSAT) courses, the BWF WITForum is encouraging employers to register candidates quickly as some funding is due to expire by the end of 2013.

In response to a government initiative requiring all central government building procurement contracts to use Building Information Modelling (BIM) from 2016, the Construction Products Association (CPA), together with the NBS, has launched a guide for manufacturers entitled: ‘BIM for the Terrified’.

TrustMark, the government-endorsed quality mark to help people find reputable tradesmen, is calling on homeowners and tradesmen to have an open conversation at the start of every job to ensure a successful working relationship.

Following five successful years of supplying trade customers, builders’ merchant Deepings Building & Plumbing Supplies has launched a free delivery service for DIY enthusiasts and gardeners in Rutland, South Lincolnshire and Peterborough.

National builders’ merchant Travis Perkins and housebuilder Persimmon are both expected to join the FTSE 100 when the index holds its quarterly review tomorrow (12 June), according to financial industry analysts.

Following the recent departure of a number of CBA companies to join Cemco, the CBA buying group is set to continue, according to remaining members AW Lumb, Beesley and Fildes, James Burrell, John A Stephens, Robert Price, and Tippers.

Radiators with high output and low water content are the perfect emitters for low-temperature systems, according to Quinn Radiators’ managing director Nick Whitwell, who recently welcomed the defeat of a European proposal to label radiators as unsuitable for use with heat pumps.

Leisure Sinks has signed an agreement with specialist plumbing and heating buying group PHG, which will allow the company’s wide range of sinks and taps to be supplied to a growing UK merchant network.

International materials technology company Ceram has released a video which discusses how it can test products to the relevant standards and help guide manufacturers through the process of CE-marking their construction products.

Industry figures have revealed that installations of cavity wall insulation were down by 97 percent in April compared with the same month last year, signalling a blow to the Coalition’s Green Deal scheme.

Office blocks, factories and community centres could be among a number of buildings across Great Britain to benefit from more cash for renewable heat under proposals recently set out by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC).